


A Complicated Profession

by Rebelsarestrongashell



Series: A Complicated Profession [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, I'll tag as I go, Sassy Reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-12 22:57:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21484231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebelsarestrongashell/pseuds/Rebelsarestrongashell
Summary: Oh hello, guess who is obsessed with The Mandalorian!! This is my first reader insert fanfic, so please forgive me if it sucks! I think this will end up being a three-part mini-series, but we'll see! Let me know what you think!
Relationships: Din Djarin/Reader, Din Djarin/You, Reader/Mandalorian, Reader/The Mandalorian, The Mandalorian/Reader, The Mandalorian/You
Series: A Complicated Profession [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1548568
Comments: 32
Kudos: 439





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh hello, guess who is obsessed with The Mandalorian!! This is my first reader insert fanfic, so please forgive me if it sucks! I think this will end up being a three-part mini-series, but we'll see! Let me know what you think!

“Corellian rum, please.”

Your voice was just loud enough for the bartender to hear over the bustling cantina. The hood of your cloak shielding your face from the crowd. You planned your escape routes as the bartender poured your drink. The sight of only two doors, one of them being the main entrance, didn’t exactly soothe your nerves.

You had already escaped the grasp of the Mandalorian bounty hunter twice and didn’t feel like pushing your luck but gods, you were worn to the bone and needed a good drink, so you gambled with your freedom. Still, you had your trusted blaster on your side, and staff slung on your back, ready for whatever fight was headed your way.

As the rum in your glass lowered and your insides began to warm, you felt the risk was worth it. With your checkered past, weren’t exactly sure why he was after you or who hired him, but you had been on the run for months, and it had been nearly two weeks since you last saw the masked bounty hunter.

You flagged down the bartender for a second glass. You didn’t have much money left, but you forgot how much you appreciated some quality rum. Besides, you had been sitting at the bar for nearly an hour with no signs of trouble, and things were starting to look up. Maybe he finally gave up on collecting you. Perhaps he was offered a higher paying bounty.

You cursed yourself as soon as the thought crossed your mind. The cantina had become silent at the sound of the large door opening and cold air rushing through. You didn’t even need to look up to know who was standing there. You could feel his eyes, straight through his helmet, staring at you from across the room.

“Of fucking course.” You growled as you slid your hands down your face. Thanks to the rum, you were tipsy, caught off guard, and only had one way out.  
As fast as your reflexes would allow, you reached for your blaster and shot first towards the Mando and bolted to the door you had spotted in the back corner.

You, ungracefully, made your way through the confused crowd, not bothering to look back to see if he was right behind you. A quick sigh of relief escaped you as you entered the darken storage room, but the relief didn’t last long as you hastily looked for an escape route. There was no sign of light or another door. Bottles crashed around you as you stumbled around the room, feeling the walls for something, anything that would give you another route out. It had been a few seconds, and he should have made his way back here now, which means he had other plans which put you even more on edge.

At last, you felt a soft spot along the rough stone wall. Taking a deep breath in, you pulled your staff off your back, preparing for anything that might be on the other side and quickly pushed the button. It opened up to the back alley, and there he was, patiently waiting for you.

You swiftly swung your staff at his neck, knocking him off balance just enough to rush past him and into the busy streets. The villagers in the market yelled after you as you purposely, and sometimes not so deliberately, knocked their booths over to slow the Mandalorian down even for just a second. “Well, I’ll never be welcomed here again.” You thought as you zigzagged between people and alleyways. The sun was quickly setting, and you were hoping the approaching darkness would give you just enough extra coverage to escape.

The sounds of the city began to quite as you reached the outskirts. There was no sign of him insight, and you had no more air in your lungs. You collapsed against the side of a crumbling building, trying to control your breathing but not letting your guard down. Something about this felt too easy. He could have easily stopped you in the cantina or the market, but he hadn’t. As though summoned again by the thoughts of him in your head, two large boots appeared in your eye line. Slow looking up, your eyes met his helmet, which was looking right back down at you, and you no longer had the energy or will to escape his capture.

“Third times the charm.” Said the calm, collected voice behind the mask.

“Sorta makes you a shitty bounty hunter, huh?” You breathed.

He bent down to your eye level, removing your hood. His head slightly tilted, “Sometimes it just about waiting for a person to tire themselves out.”

You sarcastically clapped with an overdramatic eye roll, “Well aren’t you so smart,” you replied, “Let’s get this over with, how were you told to bring me in? Dead or alive?”

“Lucky for you, alive.”

“Great, I’m overjoyed.”

The Mandalorian’s exasperated sigh let you know he wasn’t thrilled with your snark. He pulled out his binders, and you lifted your hands without another word.

The trek to his ship was taking longer than you would have liked and was filled with tense silence. You had a million questions you wanted to ask, but the masked man didn’t exactly seem like the talkative type.

“You couldn’t have parked a little closer?” You asked, finally having enough of the deafening silence.

“No.”

It was now completely dark out, the lights from the city far behind you, and the temperature was quickly dropping. As the two of you made your way through a gorge, the feeling in the air suddenly shifted. You could feel people watching you, and Mando had seemed to sense it too. He froze immediately with one hand instantly on his blaster.

“You could use an extra fighter.” You whispered.

“I don’t think so, stay down.” He replied quickly, pushing you out of the way.

In a matter of seconds, a group of Rodians descend upon both of you from the cliffs above.

Blasters started going off in every direction as you hit the dirt and crawled to a boulder for cover.

You couldn’t help but be impressed by the Mandalorian as he swung his rifle around, taking down each Rodian with a surprising amount of grace with all that clunky armor on. His reflexes were incredibly quick and had nearly taken care of the four attackers just as another appeared next to you with his blaster drawn and seemingly unaware you were on the ground. You swung your legs around, knocking the Rodian off his feet. Before he could grasp what just happened, you grabbed his head and bashed into the boulder with all the strength you could muster up.

Now you were up from the ground, and your adrenaline was flowing as another one came running up. Mando shot the blaster out of his hand just in the knick of time. You kneed the Rodian in the groin and a few times in the head as he was bent over before he fell over unconscious.

You cover your head as Mando’s blaster starts going off multiple times, aimed just behind you. Silence soon takes over, and you look past your shoulder to see one last Rodian falling over. Breathing heavily, you give the Mandalorian a nod of gratitude, thankful he wasn’t shooting at you.

You step away from the boulder, taking a good look at all of the carnage, more confused than ever.

“These were all bounty hunters,” he said, looking upon dead and unconscious bodies surrounding you, “Who the hell did you piss off?”

“I was sorta hoping you would know the answer to that.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mando prepares to hand you over as you realize who wants you dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How amazing was episode 3?!? Not my best but really wanted to get this update out, still getting use to reader inserts! Hope you enjoy!

Binders still on, the Mandalorian quickly shoves you into the cockpit of his large, beaten down ship.

“Who hired you?” You ask with little patience

“If you’re asking who put the bounty on your head, I don’t know, take a seat,” Mando replied sharply, pointing to the chair behind the pilot's seat and not even bothering to look at you.

“Well, who gave you the puck?”

The Mandalorian ignored you as he messed with the controls and lifted the ship into the air.

“Greef Carga. I’m in the guild; he gives me the pucks.” He finally responded.

“And what were you told I was wanted for?”

“Smuggling.”

You couldn’t contain the laughter that erupted from you, finally causing Mando to turn his head towards you.  
“Smuggling,” You repeated through the laughter, “That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Please tell me you saw straight through that when I saw I lived on a farm.”

“Yes. It doesn’t change that you’re the highest bounty I’ve seen in some time.”

“How much?”

“That’s nothing you need to worry about,” Mando had run out of patience with you, “Now keep quiet before I make you.”

He turned his complete attention to the controls has the ship left the planet’s atmosphere. You set your thoughts to the events that had just occurred. Somebody is lying to get to you, and whether it’s a careful friend or foe wasn’t clear yet. Cases could be made for each. Silence had taken over the cockpit when the hologram of an older man appeared on the dash.

“Mando! Have you obtained the quarry yet?”

“Yes, not without some trouble from other hunters, though.”

“That’s what I was afraid of. Another bounty has been placed on her, and it’s twice as high. They want proof of death.”

Your heart plummeted, the wind completely knocked out of you. The Mandalorian’s head was again turned towards you, just over his shoulder. You did your best to keep a neutral expression, but who exactly was after you was starting to click into place and you couldn’t push the fear away for much longer.

“I’m bringing her in alive like I was hired to do.”

“Good. The client has offered to bump up your reward if you bring her straight to them alive. Safe passage, Mando.”

With the ship now on autopilot, the Mandalorian spun his seat towards. He didn’t speak, just stared, seeming to study you and wait for something but you weren’t sure what.

“Are you expecting a thank you?” You asked firmly, wanting to break the growing tension.

“Who wants you dead?”

“I don’t know.” You lied.

“For some reason, I don’t believe that,” He leaned in closer, “I also don’t believe you’ve been a quiet farmer all your life.”

“Well, I’m not concerned about what you believe.”

In a flash, he has his blaster drawn and aimed towards you “I could use a vacation, and the reward for your proof of death would be more than enough.”

“Oh stop with the dramatics, you’re not going to shoot me or you would have done so already,” You leaned in even closer to the Mandalorian, so you were only a foot away from his helmet, “Besides, you don’t seem like the kind of man who is fond of vacations.”

There was a pregnant pause as he seemed to calculated his next move before slowly placing his blaster back into his holster and turning his attention back to the controls, quickly sending the ship into hyperspace.

“Whatever it is you actually did, you’re lucky those you set the original bounty seem determined to keep you alive.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple. It’s never simple.”

In your few experiences with bounty hunters, they never seemed to ask questions like this one does. Most wouldn’t give a second thought about who would want you dead. Even more confusing, most would jump at the chance for a high bounty. You should be dead by now, but here you are, still among the living. Maybe it was just a Mandalorian thing. This was your first time meeting one.

Neither one of you speaks for the rest of the journey, but he does occasionally look over his shoulder at you, making sure you didn’t magically disappear, you guess. He exits hyperspace, and you’re not sure what city, let alone what planet you’re descending on. The sky is clear, but yet a gray fog seems to cling to the air. As the ground comes closer, you can make out a handful of figures appearing to be awaiting your arrival.

“Those the clients?”

“Yes.”

The ship is now close enough that you can make out their faces, and the overwhelming feeling of panic takes over. These were no friends. You haven’t seen him since the day the Death Star was destroyed, and the Empire fell when he helped you escape and parted ways. His face tells you everything you need to know. He knows the truth, and there is no way you are walking out of this alive.

The ship lands, and you are desperate. “You can’t hand me over to these people please, please listen to me!”

Without a word, he effortlessly lifts you out of your seat, and the door of the cockpit opens. You try to plant your feet, but it is no use. You spin so you’re face to face with him, “Look, I’m sorry I called you a shitty bounty hunter and have been overall very aggravating, but these people will kill me, and I know bounty hunters never care, but there is something bigger at play here!”

The Mandalorian pauses, seeming to take in your words before body stiffens, “You’re right, I don’t care.”

You squeeze your eyes shut, preparing for what is lying ahead. You take in a few deep breathes, thinking about your peaceful farm, the clear skies, and wind blowing through the crops. You think about the handful of happy memories you had before the war. You guess this is what it is like to have your life flash before your eyes. You try your best to hold back the tears you feel forming, but one escapes anyway. You knew the dangers of the game when you agreed to play, and now you are meeting them face to face. Lifting your chin, you open your eyes to see the Mandalorian still staring down at you but with a tilted head of confusion.

“Let’s get this over with, show you I’m right.”

You turn to leave the cockpit when something catches your eye in the corner, “Can I at least have my staff and blaster back?”

“No.”

The ramp descends, and you feel him right behind you, grabbing your arm and leading the way because apparently, you can’t handle walking on your own. You roll your eyes and take a quick peek at him behind your shoulder; his body is still tense. He’s on edge, and you can tell he trusts this situation as much as you do. You feel slightly less annoyed that he is holding on to you.

You used to be the best of the best, that is why they sent you, but that was years ago. However, as you make your way down the ramp, you start calculating the possible outcomes, and you can feel the old training beginning to kick in. You counted eight of them with your old pal, Ragnar, in the middle. All but Ragnar had their weapons drawn, clearly ready to take you in peacefully.

“You’re going to want to get out of here as soon as possible after you hand me off.” You whisper to Mando.

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

You couldn’t help but smirk at the sarcasm.

The two of you came to a halt a few feet in front of the group. Ragnar bore holes into you, waiting for you to blink first, but you didn’t, you refused.

A sudden smile appear on his weathered face, “Well there you are,” He held out his arms like he was about to embrace you, “I’m so glad we found you before those who wanted to harm you, I couldn’t even imagine.”

The Mando pulled you back, just out of Ragnar’s reach. Acknowledging Mando’s presence for the first time, he gave him a quick look of confusion before clearing his throat, “Ah yes,” He nodded towards one of his men, “You want payment before handing her over.”

A large man stepped forward with a steel case, setting it down in front of Ragnar.

“It’s not as much as the bounty put out for the others for proof of death, but it is higher than what you were promised. We appreciate your integrity.”

Mando’s grip on you tightened just enough for you to notice, and you heard a faint click from your binders. You kept your eyes locked on Ragnar, steel demeanor unchanged. A few tensioned filled seconds passed until Mando slowly started pushing you forwards to Ragnar.

An unkind shove officially transferred you to your enemies. Without another word, Mando turned and made his way up the ramp of his ship, picking up his payment on the way.

One of Ragnar’s men grabbed hold of your arm. His grip had a roughness to it that Mando’s did not. No one in the group moved, but all blasters were aimed at you, seeming to wait until the Mandalorian was good and gone before they killed you. But instead of the ship lifting off, Mando reappeared moments later with your staff in hand.

In the blink of an eye, he tossed your staff to you and while everyone was caught off guard, you spun and struck your captor across the head before swiping Ragnar off his feet. Your unlocked binders fell off with ease, and the sounds of firing blasters rung out around you.

Mando had already taken out two men by the time you grabbed Ragnar’s blaster, taking out the two men that were charging and firing at you.

“Get back on the ship!” Mando yelled at you.

Before you did, you looked back down at Ragnar, his eyes now filled with rage.

“They are coming for you,” He spat, “You will burn for your treachery.”

“Give it your best shot.” You spat right back before firing the blaster right at his chest.

“Let’s go!” Mando yelled as more of Ragnar’s men were charging at you from the city.

You sprinted up the ramp as he fired upon the incoming attackers. Suddenly Mando yelled in pain. You turned and saw him clutching his arm, struck by the incoming fire. You sprint towards, firing back at the men getting closer, giving him cover to get on the ship.

Arm now profusely bleeding, Mando closes the ramp and stumbles into the cockpit.

“Let me help.” You said, right on his tail.

“No. Sit.” He grunts, clearly in a tremendous amount of pain.

The ship roars to life, and you fall back into your seat as Mando roughly lifts the ship into the air. He ascends as quick as he cans before anyone can follow you. Within moments he had made the jump into hyperspace.  
For a moment there is peace in the silence, the calm beeps of the ship soothe you but still feel like you haven’t exhaled. Unsure of what to say and still trying to comprehend what just happened, you aimlessly stare at the back of Mando’s helmet.

“If I’m going to continue to risk my life for you, you’re going to have to tell me why.” the Mandalorian’s smooth voice behind the helmet brought you out of your trance.

Clearing your throat to respond, you notice the blood on his left arm, “Your arm needs looked at, do you have a medkit somewhere?”

“I can take care of it myself.”

“But you don’t have to.”

He turned towards you, and you could feel the frustration emanating from him.

“I need answers.”

“Sometimes it easier for me to talk when my hands are busy. Less thinking goes into it.”

Mando, once again, tilts his head and studies you, trying to figure you all out.

“Just outside of the cockpit, on the wall.” He sighs.

You give him a small smile and make your way to the hallway. The medkit is precisely where he said it would be, and he is already on the bench waiting for you.

You take a seat next to him and starting cleaning off his wound, ignoring his winces of pain, his helmet staring down at you the entire time.

“So…”

You let out a deep exhale. You don’t recall telling the full story to anyone before, but this bounty hunter that you’ve been on the run from for months, just risked everything to save your life. He deserves to know.

“That man, his name is Ragnar Syyn," You began, "He was an imperial officer." You paused to see if you make out any sort of reaction behind the helmet but there was none. He was listening, not judging so you continued. "For the past few years, since the fall of the Empire, I’ve been hiding away on my little farm in the outer rim. Hoping to find some sort of peace and to live out the rest of my days.”

“Hiding because you were part of the Empire?”

“I was a spy. I was a rebel who was able to infiltrate the Empire successfully, and it appears the remnants just found out, and they’re not going to like the information I have.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Mando head to Dantooine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hey everyone! So the next update will be the last chapter of this mini-series. No worries though cause I'm outlining the sequel that will tie in directly with the show! I hope you really like this chapter. Let me know what you think!
> 
> In other news: I'm writing a novel!! Here is my two-word pitch; female bodyguard. I've set up a Patreon for those interested in supporting, getting updates, and even reading a few chapters. Your support would mean the world to me as I spend a much large amount of my time writing my novel and updating my fanfics. Here is the link: Patreon.com/tonyaespy

“You know the locations to all the imperial hideouts in the Unknown Regions?” The Mandalorian asked with an edge.

You raised your chin with a sense of pride; you sacrificed a lot to obtain that information, “Yes.” You replied, never breaking your eye contact with the helmet in front of you.

“I’m confused, why didn’t you hand this information over to the Republic?”

“Because the war was over, the Empire was defeated, and the Emperor was dead,” You paused to look down, you felt a sudden wave of insecurity fall over you, “and I was tired, tired of everything. I no longer wanted to be a piece in either side’s game.”

You let your hands drop from the wound on his arm and began cleaning up the medkit, refusing to look up even though you could still feel his gaze on you.

Without another word, you got up and headed back to the cockpit. Mando reentered a minute later and sat back down in the pilot seat before turning the chair towards you.

You could sense another question on the tip of his tongue and intervened before it could escape, “So what’s the plan, Mandalorian?”

“The ship needs fuel and some repairs. We’ll head to the outer rim.”

“And load up on food?” You asked, hopefully. You didn’t realize how hungry you were until that moment.

“And load up on food.” He confirmed with a sigh

You’ve learned enough about the Mandalorian in your short time with him to know he vastly enjoys silence. You remained silent throughout the flight until his screen clued you into where you were headed, “Dantooine?” You questioned, “If you’re taking me to the Republic, I will kill you right here, right now.”

He didn’t bother to look back at you, “Don’t make me bind your hands again.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

That made him turn his head back towards you. “Dantooine as enough Rebel presence to keep any Empire sympathizers away, but the Republic doesn’t bother much with Dantooine. We’ll be safe here for now, but shouldn’t stay too long.”

With that, he pulled out of light speed, Dantooine looming in front of you. He landed the ship in a small port, an older man and woman started to approach with a few droids following behind them, “You trust these people to fix up your ship?”

“They’ve done a good job before. Let’s go.” He headed out of the cockpit without giving you a glance. You quickly followed behind him, making sure to grab your staff.

The man and woman were at the bottom of the ramp waiting as the two of you walked down. It was clear they knew what to expect from the mysterious Mandalore, “No, droids?” The man asked.

“No droids,” The Mandalorian confirmed, tossing the man a couple credits and walking past him, “We’ll be at the cantina.”

The woman was looking you up and down suspiciously like she was trying to remember you from somewhere. It made you feel uneasy, so you quickly nodded at the both of them and jogged up to the Mandalorian, so you were walking side by side, “You sure we are safe here?”

“Yes, but if you keep that anxious expression on your face, someone is going to think we are up to something.”

It was a quick walk to the open-air cantina. The cantina wasn’t packed but busy enough for you to enter without being noticed. You dropped yourself down at the nearest table and let your head fall onto the wooden surface, mentally and physically exhausted from the past week. You could feel the Mandalorian sit down beside you. The warm breeze washing over you felt unbelievably lovely compared to the cold of space travel. There were a few minutes of silence, and you felt yourself falling asleep before a cheerful, motherly voice brought you out of it, “Looks like you’ve had a rough go, hun.”

You kept your head on the table but could see the figure of the woman in front of you. Not in the mood to talk, you lifted a hand, “Corellian rum, please.”

The Mandalorian’s sigh made the woman’s attention turn to him, “And for you?” She asked.

“Nothing, but also bring her some food, please. It doesn’t matter what.”

The woman nodded and walked away. You finally raised your head and turned towards your companion, or was he your captor? You weren’t precisely which anymore, “Don’t get annoyed, but how do you eat? You got some sort of straw in that thing?” You flashed him your best smile.

Surprisingly, his voice didn’t sound frustrated or annoyed, “I take my helmet off,” Your face lit up with excitement, “Just not in front of people.”

You instantly shrunk in disappointment, and the Mandalorian laughed a genuine laugh. Even through the helmet, it was warm and inviting. It made you inevitably smile. The woman came back sooner than expected. Now able to get a good look at her, she looked to be middle-aged and rather pretty. She placed your rum in front of you as well as some soup and bread. She gave you a quick look over smiled, “Well isn’t that a gorgeous face, happy to see your spirit has lifted,” She turned to the Mandalorian as you started to devour your soup, “Aren’t you a lucky one.”

You nearly choked on your soup as she walked away and then snickered to yourself, “Yeah, aren’t you a lucky one?” You teasingly asked him with raised eyebrows.

“Hurry up and eat.” This time his voice was filled with annoyance.

Nearly an hour later, your belly was full and warm from the soup and bread. The Mandalorian had done nothing for the past fifteen minutes but stare at you, aggravated that you disregarded his ‘hurry up’ command. He placed some credits down on the table and got up without a word, as usual, you followed.

The two of you walked through the market, looking at food to bring on the ship. “You got a kitchen on that hunk of junk?” You asked.

“An extremely tiny one, why?”

You help out your hand, silently asking for credits. The Mandalorian tilted his head in confusion, making you roll your eyes, “I’m a pretty good cook, I know what to get.”

After contemplating it for a moment, he placed a small number of credits in your hand, and you went off to various booths beaming. While on your small farm, it was your favorite thing to do; to go visit the market in the small village and picking out the best produce. Your life in the war rarely allowed fresh or well-made food.

By the time you and the Mandalorian made it back to the ship, you were nearly skipping. It had been so long since you felt a real sense of happiness, even if it was just a crumb. For a second, you forgot a bounty was placed on your head until the older woman came scurrying up to the two of you.

“Everything okay with the ship?” Asked Mando, fearing the worst.

She waved him off, though, “Oh everything is fine with the ship, just minor repairs, and refueling,” She quickly turned to you, “But you, I thought I recognized you. I use to work on the same Rebel base as you. The Republic sent out a transmission to all former rebels a few days ago, they are looking for you.”

“A bounty?” The Mandalorian quickly cut in with tension in his voice. You started to feel the panic rise in you as well.

“No, but they sounded urgent.”

You abruptly grabbed her by the arm, “Please don’t let them know I’m here. I can’t get sucked back in. Please.”

She studied your face for a beat, understanding seeming to sink in, “I get it, why do you think I’m here” gesturing to the port surrounding them, “You two need rest. Stay here tonight, on your ship. The city is full of former Rebel fighters, if you venture out anymore, someone might recognize you if they haven’t already. Leave first thing in the morning. I promise I won’t say a word.”

You looked at the Mandalorian, and he was looking right back at you. Even though you couldn’t see his face, you were getting better at reading his body language. You turned back to the woman, “We will. Thank you.”

The two of you retreated on to the ship for the evening. He showed you down the ladder to where the tiny kitchenette was. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. You unloaded the food and made your way back up to the cockpit where the Mandalorian had returned.

You found him looking through different holograms of various planets, “Where are we headed to next?”

“Where do you want to go?”

The question made you halt in your steps, “Where do I want to go?”

He turned his chair around to face you. “What is it that you want? Where do you want to go? A secluded planet, I would imagine. You can set up your new life.”

You absent-mindedly sat down. You had figured that the rest of your life would be running planet to planet now, possibly with the Mandalorian. Still, you had assumed he would dump you on some random planet at some point. Instead, he was helping you with another chance at a peaceful life. You realized you probably looked like an idiot, sitting there with your mouth open. You looked down and shook your head, “I mean, I would love to have a little farm again.”

He silently nodded for a moment before turning back around, “Let’s see what our options are.”

He silently scrolled through planets as you looked at him, wondering who the man under the helmet was. What he looked like, does he have a family, what his name was? Before you could stop yourself, you blurted out, “What’s your name?” He dropped his hand, and you squeezed your eyes, hoping you didn’t piss him off, “Sorry, I’ve never actually met a Mandalore, I can’t help but be curious.”

The felt rigid for a minute before he sat back, “I’m not from Mandalore. I was a foundling,” He looked back at you, “My name is Din Djarin.”

You tilted your head with a small smile, “Din Djarin, I like it.”

He turned back around, “I think I’ve found a planet that might work. Takodana.” A beautiful blue with speckled green planet appeared on the screen. “Seems to be void of most galactic politics, near trade routes, and plenty of green land for farming. Plus, it’s not in the outer rim, which will be the first place people will go to look for you.”

Takodana. You heard the name in passing before, from the looks of it, it’s a dream come true. You weren’t ready to let your guard down yet, but you couldn’t help but let your mind drift towards thoughts of a lakeside farm, “Okay. We head there tomorrow,” You looked at the window to see the sun just beginning to set, “I’ll go make us some food. I will eat below so you can be alone up here.”

Din simply gave you a nod. You stood up and went to make your exit, but before you made it to the door, you turned back around, “What would happen? If you took the helmet off in front of someone?”

“I wouldn’t be allowed to put it back on.”

“Sounds pretty peaceful to me.” You said softly.

He turned to look back at you, but you were already out the door, leaving him with his thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Din arrive on Takodana! Romance finally happens!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day!! I hope you enjoyed the final chapter of this mini-series, Baby Yoda has entered the chat! I will be making a sequel to this fic once the second season premieres in the fall! Thank you so much for reading this little series!

Takodana was the most beautiful planet you had ever seen, and that was including Naboo. You were right over Din's shoulder, taking in the lush, green landscape as he landed the ship. You had noticed he no longer seemed to mind you being physically close to him, to be honest, you didn't mind it either, "You sure it's safe here?" You asked.

"You see that castle over there?" He pointed to a large, stone building peaking over a sea of trees, "That belongs to Maz Kanata. I've never met her, but from what I've heard, she's good to know if you're looking to stay under the radar."

You scoffed, "Well, I wish I would have known about her earlier, would have saved me a real headache."

"Yeah, me too."

You glared at him. He threw his hands up with a laugh, "Kidding." He assured you.

The two of you exited the ship and made your way to the castle. You didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't what appeared before your eyes as the doors to the building slid open. You thought the word cantina was a better fit for this place rather than a castle. It was teaming with life of every kind and spirited music. Drinks were flowing from the bar, and laughter could be heard in every corner.

That all came to a halt when they caught the sight on Din in the doorway. By his stature, he seemed used to this sort of response. You recalled the night he finally captured you. When he entered the cantina, you could hear a pin drop. Mandalorians were rarely seen these days; it made everyone stop turn their heads.

"Well, well, look what we have here," A booming, cheerful voice broke the silence. A small woman with orange skin and large goggles over her eyes came walking up to the two of you, "It's been a long time since I've seen a Mandalorian."

No longer interested, the castle returned to its splendor, "We need your help, she needs your help." Din nodded his head in your direction.

The woman, you assumed to be Maz, looked you up and down, "Follow me."

Without hesitation, you follow her to a table near the back, Din right behind you. She called over to the bar to bring you food and drinks. A few moments later, a platter of fresh fruit and vegetables arrived along with a glass of rum. You took a long drink of the rum first.

"You may not know who I am," Maz spoke, still looking you over carefully, "But I know who you are."

Your eyes widened as you slowly placed your glass back down on the table.

"You received the transmission from the Republic?" Din asked.

Maz turned towards him, "I received it," She looked back to you, "But even before that, I knew who you were. A rebel spy who successfully infiltrated a Star Destroyer. Very impressive, but it appears who never handed all the information over to the Republic."

You said nothing in response but didn't break your eye contact. It was as though Maz could see everything she needed to know through your eyes, "People come here to avoid galactic politics, is that why you are here?"

You leaned forward, resting your arms on the table, "Yes, I'm just looking to lay low, settle down somewhere quiet."

"Well, we'll see how true that is," She nodded her head towards Din, "Especially with this one around."

"I won't be staying," Din spoke up.

You looked at him, surprised. You knew he wouldn't stick around once you found a place to stay, but it bewildered how much it cut you to hear him say it. You and Din started at each other as Maz looked back and forth between you.

"Do you have any useful skill sets that aren't spy-related?" Maz asked, trying to break the tension.

You took a moment to collect your thoughts, tucking your hair behind your ear, "Yeah, um, I had a small farm before."

"Luck is one your side," Maz smiled, "Close to the river, west of here, is a tiny farm that has been abandoned for many years. The farmer before left to join the rebels but never returned home. It's not much and needs fixing up but, if you can handle it, it's yours."

You nearly flung yourself out of your seat from excitement, "You don't know how much this means to me, truly. I owe you so much."

Maz placed her hands over yours, "Just be sure to keep your head low. I can show you the way there."

You jumped to your feet to follow Maz out of the castle, Din still right behind you. You looked back at him to see him turning his head side to side, looking for any possible trouble. It felt nice to have someone looking over you. Safety was a rare feeling for you. He caught you looking at him, so you gave him a small smile before turning back.

The farm was in a clearing only a couple miles away from the castle but felt perfectly secluded. It was tiny but big enough to harvest a couple different types of crops. The hut needed the most work. The roof needed to be fixed, and there was nothing inside of it besides a broken bed and a small kitchen. Luckily all the appliances still seemed to be in good, working order.

"I'll bring you the materials you need to fix everything up," Maz said before making her way back through the forest.

Din looked at you, "Will you be happy here?"

"I think so," You exhaled. You didn't think you would actually ever get a second shot at this, "Will you help me with that?" Nodding towards the hut.

He laughed and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, "I'll collect my tools from the ship." You stood there in shock for a few moments after that.

The next week was just the two of you, fixing up the farm with Maz occasionally checking in. When you weren't patching up the roof and fixing up furniture, you spent the warm days by the nearby river or napping underneath a tree. You had visited the local market on the other side of the castle, loading up on fresh ingredients, and made meals for you and Din every day. It had been so long since you've eaten that well.

You had grown comfortable in his companionship, and even though you are happy to finally have a working farm, it broke you that he was about to leave. It broke you so much that you were forced to admit to yourself how you truly felt about him. The feelings that had been forming since you bandaged him up after he saved your life. You deeply cared for him, the man who was hired to collect the bounty on your head, and what was crazier, you had the strong feeling that he felt the same way about you.

You were cleaning up from dinner when Din entered the hut. You knew what he was going to say before he said it, "Do you really have to leave?" You asked.

"I don't want to." His voice was strained like you had never heard before. It was all the admission you needed to hear.

You walked up to him and grabbed his hand, "Then don't go." You couldn't see his eyes, but you made sure he could see all the emotions in yours.

He pulled away for a moment to grab something from the table, "Do you trust me?" He asked, turning around with a dark cloth in his hands.

You stared at the cloth for a moment before letting your eyes drift to him, "Yes." You replied softly. He walked behind you and brought the fabric over your eyes, tying to the back.

"Can you see anything, be honest."

It pained you to say that all you could see was darkness. You wanted nothing more than to see his face, but you could feel your heartbeat pulse through your body at the sound of his helmet hitting the table. You could hear him slowly walking back towards you, the looming presence hovering over you. He took your face softly into his hands, bring a smile to your face. As he brought his lips to meet yours, you were overwhelmed by their warmth and let your whole being melt into him.

He kept one hand on your cheek and brought the other to the back of your head to guide your forehead to his. You worked up the courage to bring your fingers to his face, feeling everything from the roughness of his stubbles to the softness of his lips. You could feel his smile as he gave the back of your hand, a light kiss, "Hi."

The sound of his actual voice made you freeze. It was tender and grounded, and everything you had pictured in your head to be. Your smile widened, "Hi." you said back.

Your lips met once more, this time more urgent and needy. You didn't want him to pull away, you knew what came next when he did, "Please don't go. Leave your helmet off, stay with me." You breathlessly pleaded with him.

The warmth of his body was abruptly gone, and your heart sank as he untied the cloth around your eyes, revealing the helmet back on his head. Tears had formed in the corner of your eyes. Looking sheepishly to your feet, he lifted your chin to bring your eyes up to him, "I can't at least not now."

You knew that would be his answer, but it didn't make it hurt any less, "Will you ever come back here?" You asked, trying to hold on to something.

"Yes."

You didn't know how true his words would be, even though you knew he meant them honestly. He lived a complicated life with a complicated profession. You gave him a small smile before pressing your forehead to the cold metal, one more time.

— — —

Several months had passed since Din left. You had gotten into your regular routine of harvesting in the early morning, visiting the market in the afternoon, then dinner, and washing your clothes in the river around sunset. When you needed social companionship, you visited Maz and a few other new friends at her castle for a drink. Other than that, you enjoyed the peace and solitude of your new life. You had no fear of Imperial or Republic entanglements out here. No unnecessary adventures, it was just you and the farm.

The sunset was stunning as you finished running your clothes through the warm water of the river. You stood there for a few extra minutes, soaking it all in. As the sun began to dim, your hurried back to your hut to hang your clothes before all the light was gone.

You heard a rumble above you, and the wind fiercely blew in the direction of your home, like a ship was about to land. You ran, following the wind, what was in front of your hut made your drop your basket without thought. It was a ship, a ship you had grown to know well, whose pilot often occupied your mind. You ran to the other side as the ramp began to lower, electricity in your bones. Your smile grew as Din walked down to meet you, "Hi."

"Hi."

You couldn't see his face, but you could sense he shared your grin. Your delight slightly faltered when you saw what was standing on top of the ramp. It was not more than a few feet tall, green skin with long ears and big black eyes. You tilted your head in confusion before turning to Din with a smirk, "What have you gotten yourself into?"

"I need your help."

Who were you kidding, you were always ready for another adventure.


	5. Part 2 | Chapter 5

You could feel the beat of your heart in your throat as you fought back the tears; Din was taking off his helmet. He was not facing you but Grogu instead. You found yourself unsure of where to look, not wanting to take your eyes off of his shaggy brown hair but knowing the significance of what was happening and not wanting to intrude on the moment. Even though you couldn't see his face, you could feel the emotion radiating off of him, a mixture of heartbreak and pride. You felt it too. You had grown fond of that little green guy, ever since the masked bounty hunter showed up at your farm, asking for your help to bring the child to his own kind. Watching him go wasn't easy, especially after crossing the galaxy with Din to save him from Imperial remnants, but you knew he would be in good hands with Luke Skywalker, a name you had heard but someone you had never met. You kept pinching yourself to make sure the Jedi wasn't a figment of your imagination.

Time slowed but yet went too fast as Grogu and Skywalker made their way back down the hallway. A tear escaped as you waved goodbye but knowing it would not be the last time you would see your little friend.

An uncomfortable silence took over the bridge as everyone's eyes honed in on the back of the Mandalorian's helmetless head. Any hope of seeing his face slipped away as he put the shining beskar back on before turning to face you.

"What's next?" He asked, his voice thick and filled with uncertainty.

—-

3 Months Later

The wind whipped through your hair as the speeder bike you "borrowed" flew past the jungle landscape of Yavin 4. The target was approaching fast on your right, a female Twi'lek, and recent prison escapee; Xi'an. You were determined to get this job done and get it done right because, truth be told, it was likely the last job you would be doing with Din, and you were guiltily pleased about the prospect of going home.

Din had been hesitant to take this job, even though it was high paying, but refused to say why; he only asked that you take the lead. Your gut told you this would not be his first run in with the Twi'lek, but you tried not to ask questions you didn't want to know the answer to. However, you did have to bite your tongue to keep yourself from asking. At least it would have got him talking about something. 

Din had been distant towards you since Grogu left with the Skywalker. You had decided to stay with him, knowing he would be lonely though he would never admit it. It was also an opportunity to figure out whatever the two of you meant to each other. When he arrived at your farm, asking for help, you both were focused on Grogu and his safety. There was no right time for the conversation. You hadn't even mentioned the kiss though you still thought about it often. Now, it felt like he couldn't make up his mind about you. For every two steps forward, a small touch or embrace, there would be a large step back, days without a word barely spoken to each other. You didn't know how much more you could take. You deserved better than this. You deserved some damn good rum. As you pushed the speeder bike faster, there was no doubt in your mind that you would be headed back to the farm after this.

Further and further, you pushed the bike to its limits, tightening your grip as your knuckles turned white. You were next to Xi'an's bike within seconds and dared to take a look at her, hoping a tree wouldn't pop up in front of you. To your surprise, Xi'an was laughing with flashes of wildness in her eyes. Something raged within you. Keeping the bike up to speed, you rammed it into hers. She rammed back, and you took the opportunity to lept onto the seat behind her. She roared with anger as your now empty bike crashed into the ground, turning into a giant ball of flames. Xi'an slashed her knife backwards, trying to puncture any part of you she could. Before the blade could meet flesh, you grabbed her arm and pulled it farther back, causing her to scream in pain. Abruptly, the bike screeched to a halt, throwing you both off it and slamming you into the ground.

You could feel the pain of your body taking the beating from the rocks and dirt but had no time to acknowledge it. Xi'an was on top of you with her knife ready to find its target. You desperately reached for your blaster, but it was nowhere to be found, likely lost as you jumped from bike to bike.

"Shit," you hissed.

Thinking fast, you did the only thing you could do and grabbed Xi'an by the collar of her shirt. You reeled back, using all the force you could as you slammed your head into hers. Xi'an fell back with a howl. You launched yourself forward, but she still held her knife, and this time it found its target as she collected herself just in time to drive the blade into your abdomen.

Time stilled as you fell back to the cold, hard ground. You could feel your heartbeat pulse throughout your body. The jungle around you started to blur, the greenery turning black. Xi'an was on top of you once more; her blade pulled back for the fatal strike. You tried to move to block her, to do something, to do anything, but all strength had left your body along with a lot of blood; too much blood. You closed your eyes, ready for the piercing steel to meet your skin, but it never did.

"Mando…" Xi'an purred with surprise and lust.

The sound of a blaster filled your ears, followed by the thud of a body falling next to you. Coaxing yourself to stay conscious, you opened your eyes to see Din standing only a few feet away from you, pistol still drawn. Xi'an laid dead on the other side of you.

You could feel Din's eyes on you through the helmet, and his panic.

"No."

His voice was barely audible, but it told you what you already knew, your soul was fading fast. You tried to say his name, but nothing came out.

He rushed by your side as your mind began to fog.

"Stay with me, you need to stay with me," he begged, placing all the pressure he could to try and stop the bleeding from your stomach, but it was too late. You could feel the blood seeping into your clothes, drenching your entire lower body.

You had no strength or voice to say what you needed to say to him, but, somehow, you had just enough to bring your shaky hand up to the side of his helmet, where his soft cheek should have been.

His body shook too, as though he was crying. "I'm sorry," he said, "for everything."

He was crying, and so were you.

Your hand dropped as the darkness grew more profound.

"I can help."

You had nothing left within to see where the voice was coming from, but it felt warm and familiar.

"Who are you?" Demanded Din.

"Kes. Kes Dameron."

Everything went black.

**A/N: Hello there! Yes, I have finally updated! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I stared at the screen forever, unsure of what I wanted to write until it finally clicked. I'm incredibly excited about the next three chapters! I have been so busy balancing writing my own novel, running a new small business, and trying to be a good mother to my three kiddos (including a newborn) in the middle of a pandemic so I'm _le tired _but hoping it will only be a week or two until my next update!**


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